Sicily

Sicily is a territory rich in history, art and culture, but also a region with deep and ancient wine traditions. Sicily, in addition to enchanting the visitor with the innumerable natural beauties and its aromas, also impresses with the variety of its cuisine and the charm of its wines.

For decades, Sicilian wine has been used as a cut wine for French and Piedmontese wines, due to the strong alcohol content,from the 70s, the refinement of winemaking techniques led to aincrease in the quality of the wines- The desire for highly alcoholic and full-bodied wines has been shelved in favor of fresher, more elegant and fragrant wines, often obtained from ancient and indigenous vines such as Catarratto, Grillo, Carricante, Frappato, Nerello and Nero d'Avola. They were joined by international vines such as Chardonnay and Sirah. The weather isMediterranean,the coastal areas are warm, arid and always windy with little precipitation, the interior with a temperate and humid climate. Precipitation concentrated mainly in the winter period is more abundant in the highest peaks of the region such as Etna where we have an alpine climate. Irrigation is often needed especially for international varieties. The dry climate favors biological viticulture.

In each area we can find very high quality wines; the area of Etna it is considered as an archipelago on the island. Etna is an active volcano that reaches 3,300 m in height. The relationship between altitude and exposure gives rise to different microclimates. The different eruptions of lava over time have created a great "puzzle", they are lieux dit that take the name of "contrade". The floors are lava. All the vineyards are ungrafted. Phylloxera does not attack the root of the plant. No synthetic substances are used in the vineyard and there is no mechanization.
It cannot be watered. The light that is reflected between the two seas and that is reflected in the perennial snow is very important for the ripening of the grape. Large thermal excursions, even 30 C, allow the aromas to crystallize. The wind allows late harvests and prevents mold growth.
The most common type of Etna wine is Etna Rosso DOC, made primarily from the Nerello Mascalese variety with the addition of up to 20 Nerello Cappuccio. Etna blanco DOC, on the other hand, is made up of at least 60 of Carricante grape, to which is added the Catarrattoto